Because
by Suna Kurai
Summary: "Because," his voice was barely audible but she could hear him, "That person who loves you would die for you and would do everything that you asked for," she looked up at his smiling face. "Thanks for letting me die human," his voice trailed off and the last thing she heard him say was, "ugly," His eyes finally closed and she couldn't feel his heartbeat anymore.


"_Because…"_

"_That person who loves you would die for you and would do everything that you asked for,"_

_**~*:…:*:…:*:…:*~**_

It was a quiet evening. They all sat around the camp fire. Sakura sat opposite Kakashi and Naruto and Sai sat opposite each other. They were supposed to rescue a valuable shinobi from the clutches of a Missing Nin from Iwagakure. They have to get her back.

Kakashi was normally quiet while Sai was trying to speak to Naruto and Naruto tried to explain humanity to him. Sakura though, was unusually quiet. She would respond to them if they were talking to her but other than that he didn't speak. Heck, she didn't even pound Naruto's head even once. Once they were finished eating, Sakura went to the tent right away. She was supposed to Share a tent with Sai while Naruto was supposed to Share with Kakashi sensei. Last night she shared with Kakashi sensei and heard several screams from the boy known as Naruto. What could've Sai been doing?

She was finishing up fixing her supplies when Sai came in.

"Sakura, may I ask? Why did you walk out right away?"

She looked up at him. "I don't know, I just felt like fixing my supplies,"

"I see. May I help you with that?"

"No, it's alright, I'm done anyway," she said zipping her bag.

"Sakura, how did you feel towards," he paused for a moment to sit down, "Sasuke…?"

That came out of nowhere.

"What do you mean?"

"You love him right? Can you define it for me? I want to know how it is to love someone,"

"Why? It's just a burden, we're Shinobi. We don't have time for love,"

"And yet you fell in love with Sasuke,"

"That's different. That was years ago and it's different now,"

"Can't you at least tell me how it's like?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"Because I want to be like Sasuke, a human that people love, I also want to be like Naruto, a human who loves,"

Why was she pushing him away? All he wanted to do was to be human. Sakura set aside her thoughts about Sasuke and explained the whole concept to Sai.

"Love is something very confusing and unpredictable. There many types of it: one, there is love for your family. Two, there's love for your village. Three, there is love for your friends and last, there is love for a certain person that caught your eye. That love is when you feel that your heart beats fast when you see them or when you're with them. Your palms get sweaty and you don't know what to do. Since you're still the type who doesn't understand human emotions completely yet, you wouldn't know how to do this, you'd just have to feel it yourself. Like I said earlier, love comes when you least expect it. You'll never really know,"

"Then tell me," he said as he took her hand, "What do you think I'm feeling right now?" He placed her hand on his chest. Sakura could feel the gentle yet frantic thumps on his chest known as his heartbeat. She looked up at him utterly surprised and blushing.

"Sai,"

Suddenly, Naruto barged in the room.

"Oi, Sai can I— NANDATTEBAYO?"

Sai let go of Sakura's hand and stood up. "Naruto," he smiled, "Are you asking me to help keep your balls intact?"

"NANI…? That's privacy pervert!" he yelled blushing. So _this_ is why Sakura heard Naruto scream last night. Even though Sai knew how to feel now, he would still ask those kinds of questions. Naruto just destroyed the moment and the mood fell on normal mode. Sakura stood up and hit both their heads.

"NARUTO…! DON'T REACT LIKE THAT? YOU IDIOT, YOU CAN'T JUST BARGE IN TENTS WHENEVER YOU WANT! SAI, YOU IDIOT, YOU HAVE TO STOP ASKING THOSE QUESTIONS!"

"Sakura-chan,"

"It seems like ugly is back to her normal self,"

"WHAT WAS THAT SAI?"

Sakura beat them up. Sai was beaten up because he called her ugly while Naruto was beaten up because he didn't have time to run away. Now they were both suffering from severe physical injuries on their skin. Naruto left the tent while Sakura was getting an ice bag for Sai.

"Sheesh, you really don't know anything, do you?" She said as she held it up to his face, "When you're talking to a girl, never call them ugly because they'll hurt you real bad,"

"Is that so?"

"Yes, now we better go to sleep, we have to wake up early tomorrow. Hold that to your face for a bout fifteen minutes and go to sleep, ok?" she smiled, "I'll go to sleep now,"

She walked up to her sleeping bag and slept there. She woke up to the sound of blades clashing.

She ran to the front of the tent and took a peek of what could be happening outside. She saw Sai battling with a shinobi for Iwagakure. It must be that guy's henchmen. And she saw Naruto and Kakashi sensei continuing the mission and left her with Sai. They left her with him since, she was a medical ninja. She didn't notice at first but when she got a better look at Sai, she found he was bleeding. She wouldn't run out like that unlike Naruto so she found a way out where the enemy wouldn't see her.

"HELL YEAH…!" she screamed as she landed a chakra infused punch on the ground where the enemy was supposed to be. The enemy dodged.

"So there was another one, huh?"

"Sai, are you alright?" She said rushing to his side.

"Yes, I'm fine,"

"Wait; let me heal you first,"

"No, stop, If the enemy finds out that you're a medical ninja, he'll go for you first and Naruto and Kakashi sensei will suffer," he said, "And besides, it's only a small cut on my shoulder,"

"Are you sure you'll be alright?"

"As long as you're here, I'll be fine," he then preceded painting.

Sakura didn't quite know what he meant by his last statement. She wasn't sure if he'll be alright if she was a medical ninja or if he'll be alright entirely because of her presence. She just held her stance and waited for the enemy to strike first.

"Ninpou choji giga," a large lion was animated from the scroll, "Sakura, formation,"

"Got it," She went behind Sai.

"I take the little girl is a medical ninja," the enemy was so fast and right now he was holding a knife up to Sakura's neck. "I'll kill you first," his voice sounded so sure. Sakura was afraid. She needed to find a way out of this. She wrapped her foot around the enemy's and infused it with chakra and released it as she kicked his foot hard. He let go of her.

"I see you're good at chakra control, huh?" his bitter laugh was most frightening, "Alright then, I'll start with you, painter,"

Sai held his stance firmly. He painted a bird. As it was animated, He instructed Sakura to get on and punch at the right moment. Sakura obeyed him.

"She won't die while I'm still alive," he said firmly paintbrush in hand and a scroll on the other.

"Don't worry, you'll die quickly," The enemy lunged at him. He was quick to draw a snake that bit down at the enemy's spine. He winced in pain but managed to do a fatal blow at Sai.

"Sai…!"

"I'm fine, deal with me later!" he said clutching the bloody hole through his gut. He stabbed the enemy's shoulder and kicked him away.

"Sakura..!"

"HELL YEAH…!"

Her punch landed on the enemy's lower abdomen and she thought he was done for. Much to her surprise, he stood up.

"Do you really think it's that easy to kill me?"

They were thinking of strategies.

"I'll just throw a jutsu at you miss! Once you die, he won't live either!"

"Try it," Sai stepped in front of her, "Ninpou choji giga,"

A dragon flew out of the scroll. It ate the enemy and flew back in Sai's scroll.

"Good, it's over," he sighed in relief. IT wasn't over yet though. Just then, the scroll started ripping to pieces. It wasn't a good sign.

"Get away!" he yelled. He managed to shield Sakura from the explosion the scroll made.

"It's not easy to kill me, like I said," the enemy didn't die, "You look pretty worn out with that last one didn't you, painter,"

"Sai…?" She turned her head to see the person who shielded her from the explosion. Her eyes filled with tears as she saw blood from his mouth.

"In a mission, emotions are unnecessary," he said, "So don't cry," he managed to stand up and get off her, "The enemy is still alive and we can still fight," he wiped the blood off his mouth. Sakura wiped her tears away and stood up.

"Hai,"

Weapons clashed, blood was splattered and the terrain was destroyed. Finally they won but at a price.

"It's finally over, Sakura, are you alright?" Sai managed to say as a sword was stuck through his lung while he also had a hole through his heart. His chest looked like a bloody mess.

"Sai…" Tears involuntarily fell from her eyes like a broken dam.

He pulled the sword out. Sakura wasn't spared from the blood. She had a deep cut over her left abdomen and a wound on her head. She also had a deep kunai slice on her right arm all of which continued bleeding but she focused chakra in them so they weren't that fatal.

Sakura ran to him. "Sai…!" Sai fell on the ground butt first. Sakura knelt in front of him and leaned him on a tree.

"Don't do anything; I'm gonna save you, ok? You're not gonna die here," She said as she level her hands above his chest and started to heal him. The rain started pouring and Sakura's tears never ended.

"Don't bother," Sai moved his arms up and took Sakura's hands, "I'm gonna die anyway,"

"No! You're not gonna die! Not now!"

"Tell me then," he placed her hands over his chest, "How do you think I'm feeling right now?" Sakura could feel the faint yet frantic thumps on his chest known as his heartbeat. Sai let go of her arms and she was left crying.

"Why would you do that for me?"

"Because," his voice was barely audible but she could hear him, "That person who loves you would die for you and would do everything that you asked for,"

Sakura looked up at his smiling face. She was shocked and blushing but most of all, she was breaking.

"Thanks for letting me die human," his voice trailed off and the last thing she heard him say was, "ugly,"

His eyes finally closed and Sakura couldn't feel his heartbeat anymore.

"No! Sai, wake up! Sai!" she grasped his hand in one hand and shook his shoulders with the other. "Sai, you can't die! Listen to me please! Open your eyes! Didn't you say that as long as I'm here, you'll be fine? So wake up, Sai, I' here! Don't die! Just don't die," She buried her face in his chest, "Sai…" Her voice sounded worn out from screaming and crying. Her eyes were swollen and her heart was broken.

"Why does everyone I love have to leave?"


End file.
